Metters makes big first impression on Giles

Warwickshire’s rookie spinner Chris Metters has acquired the ‘Ice Man’ tag once held at Edgbaston by Neil Smith.

Metters, a winter recruit from Devon, celebrated his first senior appearance by taking six for 65 against Worcestershire at Edgbaston, the best figures by a Warwickshire bowler on his first-class debut in the County Championship.

The 20-year-old showed no sign of nerves and undermined Worcestershire despite using a new run-up for the first time.

“We are very impressed with Chris, his temperament is fantastic. We have not known him for long but in the short space of time he has been here he struck me how cool he is and that he just gets on with things,” said Warwickshire’s director of cricket Ashley Giles.

“He’s very similar to Neil Smith who is someone I played a lot of cricket with. He’s very calm, almost an ice man in the way that he doesn’t get flustered and just gets on with things.

“It’s early days for him and he’s got a lot to learn. He’s still learning about spin bowling. But he has got a lot of the elements you are looking for. He spins it, he looks quite economical and simple, he drops the ball quite quickly and he learns quickly.

“He doesn’t seem to get flustered. He’s got a quicker ball and good variations of pace which probably comes from having bowled seamers. All that together makes him interesting.

“Interestingly he’s worked on a new run up this last week and this was the first game that he has really tried it in. Before he was walking in and he was losing a bit of rhythm doing that.

“Now he’s trotting in. He got a bit tight on the front foot and he was no balled a couple of times. It worries you that it might put him off but he settled in quickly and it’s nice to see a youngster come in and do so well on his debut.”

Metters, like Giles, has switched to spin having previously been a left-arm seamer. Giles, who went on to win 54 Test caps, is looking forward to working with Warwickshire’s new discovery.

“It’s nice for me to have a young project if you like and someone I can relate very closely to having been a seamer myself,” added Giles. “He’s learning his trade so hopefully I can help him with the tacticals and technicals. It’s just nice to see a young left-armer come in and do that.”